Lexical Summary sukkah: Booth, Tabernacle, Shelter Original Word: שֻׂכָּה Strong's Exhaustive Concordance barbed iron Feminine of sok in the sense of sek; a dart (as pointed like a thorn) -- barbed iron. see HEBREW sok see HEBREW sek NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Originfrom the same as sek Definition a barb, spear NASB Translation harpoons (1). Brown-Driver-Briggs [שֻׂכָּה] noun feminine barb, spear; — plural שֻׂכּוֺת Job 40:31. Topical Lexicon Biblical SettingThe term appears singularly in Job 41:7, within the LORD’s climactic address to Job that extols the might of Leviathan: “Can you fill his hide with harpoons or his head with fishing spears?” (Berean Standard Bible). The unique vocabulary accentuates the futility of human weaponry against a creature that only the Creator can subdue. In the larger structure of Job 38–41, this image underscores the gulf between finite man and the omnipotent LORD who governs even the most untamable forces of nature. Ancient Maritime and Military Background Harpoons and fish-spears were standard implements in seafaring cultures bordering the Mediterranean and Red Seas. Bronze or iron points were lashed to wooden shafts, sometimes barbed to prevent a struck creature from slipping free. While smaller versions served ordinary fishing, larger, heavier variants were designed for sea monsters of legend or for large species such as crocodiles and sharks. The mention of such a weapon in Job presumes an audience familiar with maritime ventures yet equally aware that no implement, however formidable, could penetrate Leviathan’s protective hide. Symbolic Function within Job 1. Human Limitation: Job has already confessed, “What power have I that I should answer Him?” (Job 40:4). The reminder that even barbed harpoons are useless against Leviathan magnifies that confession. Intertextual Echoes Isaiah 27:1 foresees the LORD “with His fierce and great and mighty sword” striking “Leviathan the fleeing serpent,” suggesting an eschatological resolution of the threat implied in Job. Psalm 74:13-14 also recalls the divine crushing of sea monsters as a past act that guarantees future deliverance. These passages amplify the theological weight of Job 41:7: nothing in heaven, earth, or sea eludes the reach of God. Ministry and Devotional Applications 1. Humility before God: Congregations wrestling with suffering, doubt, or intellectual pride are invited by Job 41:7 to bow before the transcendent wisdom that designs both harpoon and un-harpoonable creature. Christological Perspective Early Christian teachers often viewed Leviathan as a figure of satanic opposition. Just as Job 41 presents human weapons as ineffective, so the New Testament reveals that only the cross and resurrection of Jesus conquer the serpent (Hebrews 2:14; Revelation 12:9). The lone Old Testament appearance of this word thus foreshadows the ultimate triumph of Christ—achieved not by human ingenuity but by divine initiative. Practical Reflection Questions • What “harpoons” of self-reliance am I trusting to solve spiritual or moral problems only God can address? Conclusion Though occurring only once, the word evokes a world where human craftsmanship meets its match against the mysteries of creation. It serves the pastoral purpose of enlarging the believer’s vision of God, nurturing reverent awe, and directing faith away from self and toward the Lord who alone commands Leviathan—and every other power in the universe. Forms and Transliterations בְשֻׂכּ֣וֹת בשכות ḇə·śuk·kō·wṯ ḇəśukkōwṯ vesukKotLinks Interlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel TextsEnglishman's Concordance Job 41:7 HEB: הַֽתְמַלֵּ֣א בְשֻׂכּ֣וֹת עוֹר֑וֹ וּבְצִלְצַ֖ל NAS: his skin with harpoons, Or his head KJV: his skin with barbed irons? or his head INT: fill harpoons his skin cymbal 1 Occurrence |
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